1. What are the specific services that will be provided to veterans?
Veterans will receive care addressing speech, language, and swallowing rehabilitation to muscular, neurological, and brain injuries. The retraining/rehabilitation will address cognitive function and skills that are necessary to help our veterans experience a successful reintegration into civilian life.
2. Are there any limitations regarding which classification of veterans will be able to receive services from the FSU center?
All veterans, and their dependents, will be offered services, regardless of age or period of military service. Additionally, the services will not be limited to FSU students/faculty/staff.
3. How many potential clients are there in the region? Is there an unmet need?
Local VA personnel have estimated there are, at minimum, hundreds of individuals in the Panhandle who could benefit from this center. Additionally, certain injuries (blast injuries, see below) are going unidentified, likely increasing the number of potential clients. Currently, veterans must travel more than two hours to get services in Gainesville or Pensacola, leaving many in the Panhandle without proper treatment at this time.
4. The capacity envisioned at this time is 25 clients per week. What if there are more needing services?
We will add individuals to a waiting list and schedule them as quickly as possible.
5. Will clients need to be referred?
Clients may be referred by another professional or via self-referral. We will, however, need to schedule appointments ahead of time.
6. Will there be a fee for services? If yes, is there an accreditation that must exist for insurance or VA reimbursement?
Yes, there will be a fee. We are pursuing the ability to become a TriCare (VA) provider. In the meantime, we already offer an adjustable rate dependent on financial need.
7. Where are the services currently being provided to veterans and what is the status of their capacity?
Without The Veterans Specialty Clinic, veterans living in Greater Tallahassee and the Eastern Panhandle will have to travel to VA facilities in Gainesville and Pensacola. As a result, some veterans may not avail themselves of services needed for proper treatment because of the high cost of traveling four hours round-trip for a treatment.
8. There has been mention of the research benefits that will be derived from this project. What specific research will be conducted?
One specific line of research will be to investigate the distributed effects of blast injury, unique to veterans in recent wars. There is only preliminary research available on this type of head injury and its effects on speech, language, hearing, and cognition. The School’s research faculty will be on the cutting edge of this line of research.